Picks such as those used for playing stringed instruments such as guitars, banjos and the like have been well known and widely used for many years. The pick is held between the player's thumb and one or more fingers, typically the forefinger, and applied to the strings of the musical instrument in a plucking or strumming manner to play music.
Conventional picks for stringed musical instruments are made from resilient plastic material with a smooth surface. Unless gripped tightly, there is tendency, while in use, for the pick to shift away from the initial preferred position, causing distraction and interference with top performance. This means that the player must maintain a tight grip; which causes fatigue over a period of time.
Furthermore, because of the small size of the pick, standby storage between performances is problematic: it can become misplaced, e.g. fall to the floor or into some inaccessible location, and thus may become temporarily or permanently lost, causing at least inconvenience and possible disruption of performance.
Furthermore, the player is repeatedly faced with the problem of where to put the pick temporarily, e.g. between performances or even during performances if both hands are needed momentarily for some other activity such as sorting music, playing another instrument, changing to another style, handling beverages, etc. There are many different approaches to this issue. Some players keep a pocket full of picks to have spares in case of loss, and simply use the pocket for temporary storage as well. Many players find a suitable slot or tapered opening somewhere on the guitar body or head, or on a nearby object such as a music stand or a microphone stand where the pick can be parked or wedged and retrieved when needed.